The prior art has used many different compositions as binders for glass fibers, with most such binders being polyester resins, producing fiberglass compositions. Typical polyester resins include linear polymers of a dibasic acid and a diol.
The Wismer et al. U.S. Pat. No. 2,999,834 discloses a process wherein a catalyst-containing coating is applied to glass fibers, which glass fibers can then be used as a reinforcing material in an interpolymerizable material matrix. The catalyst-containing coating comprises a catalyst for the matrix material contained in a coating vehicle, with the coating vehicle being typically a diester or a dicarboxylic acid and a monohydric alcohol, such as, e.g. terephthalic acid and ethanol, or a linear polyester of such acid and a glycol, such as ethylene glycol. The glass fiber coating of Wismer functions merely as a catalyst-carrying material, and to some extent, as a coupling material, and is not used as a binder per se.
The Varlet U.S. Pat. No. 3,271,182 discloses a process for producing mechanically shapable reinforced polyester resin sheets, with the reinforcing agent being, e.g. glass fibers. The glass fibers are first impregnated with a polyvalent metal salt in a diluent which is a polyhydric alcohol or a vinyl monomer, then the glass fibers are impregnated with a mixture of an interpolymerizable thermosetting polyester and a catalyst therefor. The polyesters may be made of maleic acid, or the like, and ethylene glycol, or the like.
Marzocchi et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,287,096 discloses the use of amylopectin as a lubricant for glass fibers, used in connection with a plasticizer which may be a polyalkalene glycol, a fatty ester of glycols, or an ester of citric acid.